Trump-Netanyahu talks reveal strains after joint Iran war

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 28, 2026 22:52 IST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump met at the White House on Tuesday for the first time since they launched a joint war against Iran, in talks that came amid pressure on both leaders at home and signs of strain in their relationship. Netanyahu is heading into re-election, while Trump is facing pressure to end a war that has caused economic disruption and pushed up prices ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

The closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was "positive and productive", according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The White House and Netanyahu's office did not immediately provide more details. The two leaders were also expected to discuss the framework agreement signed by the US and Israel with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war, as well as the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a White House official said.

Trump had indicated tension before the meeting. Speaking to "Fox & Friends", he complained about reports that Netanyahu planned to discuss intelligence on Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a potential nuclear site that Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb. "I know exactly what's going on at Pickaxe," Trump said. He added that whatever Iran is doing is "not a big problem" and said, "Bibi's telling me that because he wants me to stay involved." Trump also said, "Why do you have to announce to the world?" On Monday, when asked if he and Netanyahu were on the same page on Iran, Trump said, "We have a little difference. But pretty close, yeah." Near the White House, a small group of protesters chanted, "Netanyahu, you're a tyrant" and "Bibi, you're not welcome here."

Trump and Netanyahu have had a long and uneven relationship, though their alliance appeared especially strong after Trump's return to the White House last year. When they began the war together in February, the two projected a united front and said their militaries were acting together to target Iran's leadership and clear the way for a government friendlier to the West. But as Iran retaliated with drones and missiles that hit US bases and high-rises in Gulf cities, and disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, Trump came under heavy pressure at home and from regional allies to end the conflict. Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue fighting in Iran and against Hezbollah in Lebanon, has been pushed aside as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote in Israel Hayom on Monday, "The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war," adding, "It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat."

With tensions between the US and Iran rising again in recent weeks, Netanyahu planned to share Israeli intelligence on Tehran's nuclear programme with Trump, according to a person familiar with the visit. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in New York on Tuesday that Netanyahu wanted to hear what Trump would like to see in the coming days and weeks. "I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options," Danon said. "We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president." Netanyahu said on Sunday that he hoped to meet Trump "to hear what he has in mind" for Iran. "Because I think, in many ways, it's his decision" on how to move forward, Netanyahu told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures". "If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that's fine. Why not? But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear programme," he said of Iran.

At the same time, Netanyahu also needs to assure Trump that he will not hinder US diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, where Trump has earlier complained that "too many people are being killed" by Israeli strikes. In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel has agreed to let the Lebanese army deploy to some villages under a "pilot programme" to test its ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The US State Department said the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks would be held next week in Rome and would focus on expanding the programme. On Gaza, Israel's security cabinet approved a measure on Sunday that would in theory allow the first members of an international stabilisation force, outlined last year in a US-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, to enter the territory. Few countries have committed troops, and Israel would clear their entry case by case. Troops, including from Morocco and Uganda, would be allowed to operate only in a small, barren area in Rafah in the south, where the plan is to screen and house some displaced Palestinians. The Israeli military continues to carry out strikes that it says target militants but which have also killed civilians.

Support for Israel has also weakened sharply in the United States, especially over its actions in Gaza. In June, Vice President JD Vance warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders, and he was expected to attend Tuesday's meeting, according to a person familiar with the plan. An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a sharp fall in support for Israel among American adults. Ben Caspit, a political commentator for Israel's Maariv newspaper, wrote, "We've lost America. Thank you, Bibi." The White House meeting, against this backdrop, underscored both the importance of the Trump-Netanyahu relationship and the disagreements that have opened up over Iran, Gaza and the wider region.

With PTI Inputs

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